Posted on 02/28/2007 7:54:19 AM PST by Al Simmons
Wedge Issues Posted by: “Common Tator” in FreeRepublic.com April 16, 2002
The one thing that amazes me on this site is the belief by some that the conservative position is the majority position.
Mostly people tend to believe it could be the majority position if the right candidate ran, or if it weren't for the media or RINOs or etc, etc. They really don't have a clue.
Roughly 2/3 of the public has firm views. They have made up their minds and do not change them. This group is nearly equally split between the left and the right.
There are about a 1/3 of the population that is never sure. Sometimes it will go left and sometimes it will go right.
When a party restricts itself to its base it will be in a minority party. The "base only" party will be reduced to crying as the other side works its will. In some nations both the left and right restrict themselves to just their base. That nation then develops five or six parties. And all governments in that nation are coalitions of a major party and some of the minor parties. In that situation the minor party always has more influence than its numbers represent. For the Rino and Dino haters that is the worst of all worlds.
Many of Rino and Dino haters try to make ours a 3 or 4 party system. They never figure out that their splinter right or left party would never get much power in a government based on coalitions. They are too small. It is the centrist parties that have a 1/3 of the public as potential members that get the clout in the Multi Party system. As you can see in a 2 party or a 5 or 6 party system the center tends to prevail.
But in our two party system the center is an instrument the major parties use to enact their goals. In the multiparty system it is the center parties that use the right and left to enact their centrist goals. Such a system like those in Italy and France are RINO and DINO paradise.
This nation now and for all of the last 140 years has been roughly 1/3 left, 1/3 right and 1/3 in the middle. Those in the middle who run for office are what we call RINOs and DINOs.
When Republicans drive RINOs out they leave the party to become DINOs and take their political power with them. The Democrat party gets them by default.
Then the Democrats thanks to its Dino buddies have a veto proof house and senate. It was Barry Goldwater's greatest accomplishment. In my BRAIN I knew Barry would elect a lot of DINOs ... and he did.
If a party with most of the center wins the presidency too, they have a filibuster proof senate. That party then can do anything it wants to do. When the party leadership takes control they implement the parties’ core beliefs. It was what LBJ did after Goldwater drove all the RINOs into LBJ's camp. It let LBJ do the "Great Society." LBJ had to have Barry's help to do it. And Barry did what it took to give LBJ the support he needed... LBJ had all the left. Barry gave him all the center.
To win control a party must keep its base and get over half the middle. If the Republicans have more RINOs than the Democrats have DINOs the Republican agenda prevails. If the Democrats have more DINOs than the Republicans have RINOs the Democrat agenda prevails.
Those that demand the defeat of RINOs are doing all they can to enact the leftist agenda. They are the most valuable asset the left has. One of the most effective tactics in politics in the negative campaign.
Negative campaigns are not about getting votes for your candidate. They are about getting the other side's base to not vote for their candidate. Thus if you can get the right to vote against a Rino or not vote at all, you can elect a very liberal candidate.
If you can force the Republicans to nominate a right wing candidate so right wing he can't get the center voters, you elect the left candidate.
Its the social conservatives (well, SOME who describe themselves as such) who are threatening to bolt the party if their candidate(s) is nominated. Why have a party if you're just gonna go home if you can't get your way?
NO ONE on the "open-to-Rudy' side has said anything about staying home if, say Duncan Hunter won the nomination (I wish he could - but he can't).
Its the folks on your side, no doubt feeling the shifting winds and notliking it, who are throwing a collective temper tantrum.
However accusations of latent liberalism and treason being dished out like candy do no good. At the end of the primary, the various factions have to be able to walk back from the campaign and forge a unified platform.
The Republicans have to be particularly mindful of this discipline as the MSM will take any perceived splits as an opportunity to hammer their candidate.
Regards, Ivan
Then don't pretend that an FR poll has anything to do with real world politics.
You might try re-reading that.
This is what he wrote:
"Every "plus" you can list for Rudy yields no distinct advantage over just about any other Republican candidate."
He didn't say anything about Hillary, you just read incorrectly.
Spot on.
No, I didn't read incorrectly, you missed the point of my reply.
Ford, Reagan and Bush I appointed judges that turned out to be flaming liberals. Bush II nominated Meier and we all know how that turned out. I would not like the chances of a truly originalist judge being nominated with Rudy in charge considering his liberal slant on a number of issues.
Anyone who has donated to the upkeep of FreeRepublic knows that onyx runs the Freepathon threads, giving up many, many hours of her own time to keep this place going. Now, why is it you didn't know that?
And in case you didn't notice, I replied to the part you didn't even quote. I on the other hand quoted the entire text for it's context. I don't believe in quoting someone out of context.
What a dumb thing to say!"
Careful Mom - you just insulted a retired USAF Colonel. I don't agree much with some of his positions on this matter either, but let's act respectful.
I don't recall JC going 'over-the-top" like some of the 'usual suspects' around here! :>)
LOL! Good one....
You hit the nail on the head here. And so, who, out of the 'top crop', do you trust to take charge in the WOT?
Rudy. PERIOD.
I have no 'liberal idiot buddies'...I have a cousin-in-law who fits that description, but he's not a Freeper...
I am every bit as conservative on the issues as you are, with one added feature: a SURVIVAL INSTINCT.
If Rudy gets the nomination y'all will vote for him and it will be all anti-Hitlary threads around here....just a prediction...
AMEN.
I know it. I just think flaunting it as a rhetorical weapon to try and slap down conservatives is despicable.
But they will be lying, just as they lied in 2006, 2004, even.
We have to discount their vote, and work twice as hard to make sure this country does not end up with a Democrat President in '08. It won't be easy, but we have to be the adults here.
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